What is the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)?

The UK has a world-class higher education sector, with rigorous systems in place to ensure high quality teaching. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a new scheme for recognising excellent teaching, in addition to existing national quality requirements for universities, colleges and other higher education providers. It provides information to help prospective students choose where to study. The TEF is voluntary and each higher education provider decides whether or not to take part. Participating higher education providers receive a gold, silver or bronze award reflecting the excellence of their teaching, learning environment and student outcomes. The awards cover undergraduate teaching. Participating higher education providers and their TEF awards are available on the HEFCE website.

Plymouth Marjon University earned a TEF silver award. This means we deliver high quality teaching, learning and outcomes for students and consistently exceed national quality requirements for UK higher education.

The awards are decided by an independent TEF Panel of experts, including academics, students and employer representatives. The provider’s undergraduate teaching is assessed against ten criteria that cover the areas of teaching quality, learning environment and student outcomes. The TEF Panel considers evidence from a set of metrics using national data as well as written evidence submitted by the provider. The metrics cover continuation rates, student satisfaction and employment outcomes. The metrics for each provider are benchmarked to take account of differences in its students’ characteristics, entry qualifications and subjects studied.